The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-07-28
FUTILE AS HE IS.
A Little War History of Not
Very Savory Odor.
From the Missouri Republican.

DIVISION OF NlchsDurg, ana lutte COM
manded the department of NatcheZ Col. |
Bernard Gaines Farrar, of the Thirtieth
Missouri infantry, commanded Fort Nc
Phersop, situated in or near NatcheZ. |
Colonel Farrar raised the Thirtieth Mis-
souri, infantry, and led the regiment in
many battles. Colonel Farrar now re-
sides in st. Louis, a prosperous citizen,
engaged in manufacturing enterprises.
He is a republican and a member of the
Grand Army of the Republic. Colonel
Farrar is yet hale, well-preserved man,
capable of doing considerable fighting.
His memory, too. is in fine working Or
der. When Gen. James NJ. futile, of
Iowa, was removed from the command of
the
DEPARTMENT OF NATCHEZ,
in the winter of 1864, Colonel Farrar was
appointed to succeed him. Colonel Farrar
knows General futile tolerably well. Far
rar remained in command of the depart
ment of Natchez until he was mustered
out of the service, brevet brigadier-gen
eral, at the close of the war. Thinking
that General Farrar could give some enter
tanning war "reminiscences, Republican
commissioner waited on him yesterday at
his place of business on Biddle street.
General Farrar was found busy, but cour-
teous. He readily consented to talk to the
reporter.
You knew General futile during the
war, presume" said the reporter, after
the preface of the conversation was dis
posed of.
sob, yes" said General Farrar, 81 knew
him pretty well when he was in command
at Netchez."
"What do you know about him."
'Well, now, l don't care to enter into
this muss that Tuttle started, and yet l
think it is only proper that the Grand
Army men should understand what kind
of a man 1uttle is, or rather was, when l
knew him. l am Grand Army man my.
self, but l believe that Tuttle was guilty
of an internal outrage when he objected
to the presence of the president of the
United States at the national encamp-
ment. l am certain, also, that Tuttle only
spoke for himself and, perhaps, few
cranks, when he intimate d that the presi-
dent would be insulted if he attended the
encampment. 1 know that the Grand
Army men would not insult the president
of the United States, and 1 am willing to
bet that Tuttle had only very small fol
lowing in the Grand Army. 1t is just
such fellows as futile that prevent the
sections from coming completely together.
| No union men who entered the army with
patriotic purpose and left it with a
good, clean record, can be found bowling
at rebels and traitors at this day. But to
return to Tuttle's war record. 1 served
under him for some time. |
COMMANDED A MISSOURI REGIMENT,
and was in command of Fort Mcpherson
at Natchez. The air, at the time, was
filled with rumOrs of cotton jobbing, and
Tuttle's name was unpleasantly men
toned. Some time in the winter of 1864,
if my memory is right, Major-General
Slocum came to my headquarters, at
Fort Mcpherson. He referred to the
cotton scandals, and said that he could no
longer tolerate Tuttle in command of the
department. After some further CONVEX
sation between us he said he intended to
remove Tuttle that night, and appointed
me to the command of the department.
Soon after General Slocum left, an order
was promulgated relieving futile and
appointing me to the department COM
mand. Soon after l assumed COM
| ulduu uUtl0 lSlU LUZ Il6 hUOuL
twenty minutes after the north bound
New Orleans boat had left with futile
on board, the provost guard reported
to me that futile had taken along with
him a landau, that was confscated from
planter some time before, and was used
at department headquarters. The landau
was a very valuable one, perhaps the
finest man ufactured at the time. 1t was
fully worth $4,000. l Immediately notified
General Slocum, and he ordered a gun
boat to pursue the New Orleans boat on
which futile was aboard up the river, and
recover the landau. The gunboat caught
up with the passenger boat at Vicksburg
overhauled it and recovered the landau.
1t was returned to Natchez, AMI used it
while [ was in command of the depart
ment, and turned it over to my successor,
General Davisson, of the regular army,
when l was mustered out of service. The
landau was found among Tuttle's effects
on the New Orleans boat by the COM
mander of the gunbOat sent to recover it
by General Slocum, and can draw but
one inference"
did the affair create much scandal?"
"Yes, indeed; it was the talk of the
army at the time, and was a particularly
luscious morsel for the rebels. The
Natchez people seemed never to tire of
talking of it, and they pointed many
morals from the incident as to the char
acter of
| PROMINENT UNION OFFICERS.
Of course our people were shocked and
endeavored to keep the matter as secret
as possible, but, in spite of our efforts, it
! leaked out"
''Was that the only scandal with which
General futile was conspicuously identi-
fied?"
''Not by long shoS. When l was ap-
pointed to the command of the depart
ment, the cotton scandals we're so great
that General Slocum ordered me to make
an investigation, and report upon General
Tuttle's administration of the department
With the assistance of the provost mar
shal, I made the investigation and sub
mitted report to General Slocum. Soon
after the report was made General futile
Was permitted to resign"
"What did your investigation reveal?"
"Well, very little that was creditable to
General futile, and very much that wa
decidedly dlscreditable to him. We dis
covered that cotton planters and cotton
buyers were arbitrarily arrested by order
of General futile, confined in the county
| iail NJ Natpbaz bn, l.. -. ~